Needle pulling thimble



March 18, 1 952 v. D. LAKE 2,589,499

NEEDLE PULLING THIMBLE Filed June 25, 1949 Q INVENTOR.

vmgpau. Domaw mm 4% 7 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NEEDLE 'PU'LLING THIMBLE Varnall Donald Lake, Oradcll, N. J. 7

Application June 23, 1949, Serial N o. 100,869

f 'Claims. IV

This invention relates to a device for gripping a needle to facilitate the pulling of the needle through material which offers resistance to the passage of the needle therethrough, and -more particularly the invention contemplates the combination of a needle puller and thimble.

A prime object of the invention is to provide a needle puller which shall embody novel and improved means for grasping the needle so that the needle can be easily but firmly gripped and pulled through the material.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved combination of a needle puller and a thimble wherein the thimble shall have a transverse opening therethrough intermediate its ends to receive a needle and there-shall be means within the thimble "for firmly clamping the needle in said opening.

Further objects are to provide a needle puller of the character described'including'a body portion, a needle-gripping block, a needle-gripping expensive in construction; and to obtain other advantages and results that will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a needle pulling thimble embodying the invention showing the manner of using it for pulling a needle through material;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view through one form of the needle pulling thimble;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view on the plane of the line 3--3 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 2 showing a modification of the invention;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of another form of the needle pulling thimble;

Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 66 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view on the plane of the line of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the manner of gripping a needle with the needle puller.

Specifically describing the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 2and 3, the reference character A indicates the bodyoi the device which is shown in the form of a thimble of the usual 'frusto-conical configuration having an open end surrounded by a rim 1 and a, closed end 2, the sides and end having the usual indentations or serrations to facilitate engagement with the end of a needle 'for pushing the needle through material being sewed. The body A may be of any suitable size and shape and formed of any suitable material.

Extending transversely and prefer-ably diagonally across the closed end portion of the body is a tube B for receiving a needle C when it is desired to pull the needle through the material being sewed which is generally designated D. The inner surface ofthe tube B has needle gripping portions which are shown in the form of serrations or corrugations 3 at one side of the tube and a resilient blade 4 projectin into the tube at the diametrically opposite side thereof,

a so that when -a needle is s'lippedinto the tub'e, or

the tube "is slipped over the endof a needle as shown in Figure -1, the needle will be frictiohally gripped between the corrugated surf-ace 3 and the'bla'de '4. When the needle is so gripped the thimble may be manipulated-as a handle soa's to pull the needle through the material D, the .cor-

rugated surface 3 and blade! preventing relative slipping of the tube B and the needle.

If desired an inverted cup-shaped finger shield 6 may besec'ured in the thimble-inwardly of the 'ments than the corrugated surface and blade may be utilized. 7

A further modification of the invention -is shown in Figures 5 to 8 inclusive where the needle puller is shown as comprising a tubular frusto-conical body E having aligned diametrically opposite openings 1 in its walls and a needle gripping block 8 secured within the body below said openings and formed with a needle bearing surface or groove 9 in alignment with the openings I. Movably mounted in one end of the body .to cooperate with the needle gripping block 8 is a jaw comprising a block [0 of a thickness to loosely fit within the groove 9 and which is secured centrally of its length by a stud II on a thumb piece I2 which also forms the needle.

1 body.

I 3 pushing end of the thimble. This thumb piece is shown as comprising a main portion I3 having a depending cylindrical shank I4 on its inner side extending into the open end of the body E and formed with an outturned perimetral flange I5 which underlies an inturned perimetral flange I 6 on the body E. Normally the main portion I2 of the thumb piece rests on the exterior of the flange I6 of the body as shown in Figures 6 and 7 and the flange I5 is in spaced relation to the flange I6; and the jaw I is normally spaced from the bottom of the groove 9 a distance less than the diameter of an ordinary needle. However, when a needle is inserted through the openings I and into the groove 9, the jaw I0 i pushed outwardly of the body E as shownin Figure 8, this outward motion of the jaw and thumb piece being limited by engagement of the flange I by the flange I6,

When it is desired to pull a needle, the needle is slipped into the openings 1 as shown in Figures 1 and 8 and the body E is gripped as shown by solid lines in Figure 1. Then the thumb of the operators hand is pressed firmly against the thumb piece I2 as shown by broken lines in Figure 1 so as to tightly clamp the needle between the jaw I0 and the block 8, whereupon by properpiece I2 in any suitable way, but the riveted stud I I is a convenient connection and preferably the thumb piece is rotatable relatively to the jaw I0. Other modifications and changes in the details of construction of the needle puller will occur to those skilled in the art as within the spirit and scope of the invention. 7

I claim:

1. A needle puller comprising a tubular body one end of whichis formed to receive a finger, said body havin opposite openings in its wall to receive a needle therethrough, a needle gripping block within said body having a needle bearing surface in alignment with said openings, a

, jaw at the other end of said body and cooperative with said block to grip a needle between them,

and a thumb piece for said jaw projecting from the second-mentioned endof the body for actuating the 'jaw, said thumb piece being a disk nor-' mally closing the second-mentioned end of said 2. A needle puller comprising a tubular body one end of which is formed to receive a finger,

. said body having opposite openings in its'wall to receive a needle therethrough, aneedle gripping block within said body, a jaw at the other end of said body and cooperative with said block to grip a needlebetweenthem, and a thumb piece for said jaw projecting from the second-mentioned end of the body for actuating the jaw, said block having a groove in alinement with said openings to receive a needle, and said jaw comprisinga block of a width to loosely enter said groove.

3. A needle puller comprising a tubular body one end of which is formed to receive a finger, said body having opposite openings in its wall to receive a needle therethrough, a needle gripping block within said body, a jaw at the other end of said body and cooperative with said block to grip a needle between them, and a thumb piece for said jaw projecting from the second-mentioned end of the body for actuating the jaw, said block having a groove in alinement with said openings toreceive a needle, and said jaw comprising a block of a width to loosely enter said groove, said thumb piece being a disk normally closing the second-mentioned end of said body, and said jaw being rotatably connected to said thumb piece centrally thereof.

4. A needle-pulling thimble comprising a tubular frusto-conical body formed at one end to receive a finger having diametrically opposite openings to receive a needle therethrough, means within said body for gripping a needle disposed in said openings and including two relatively movable parts to grip a needle between them, and a thumb piece for one of said part projecting from the other end of said body, said thumb piece being a disk to normally abut and close said body at the second-mentioned end.

5. A needle-pulling thimble comprising a tubuing a disk to normally abut and close said body at the second-mentioned end, said body having an inturned flange at said end and said thumb piece disk having a cylindrical shank extending loosely into said body and provided with an out- 7 turned flange underlyingand to abut said flange on said body for limiting movement of the thumb piece outwardly from said body.

. VARNALL DONALD LAKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 7 Name Date 743,280 Hemenway Nov. 3, 1903 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Germany Sept. 13, 1939 

